S E C O N D C O R I N T H I A N
S.

CHAP. XI.

In this chapter the apostle goes on with his
discourse, in opposition to the false apostles, who were very
industrious to lessen his interest and reputation among the
Corinthians, and had prevailed too much by their insinuations. I.
He apologizes for going about to commend himself, and gives the
reason for what he did, ver.
1-4. II. He mentions, in his own necessary vindication,
his equality with the other apostles, and with the false apostles
in this particular of preaching the gospel to the Corinthians
freely, without wages, ver.
5-15. III. He makes another preface to what he was about
further to say in his own justification, ver. 16-21. And, IV. He gives a large
account of his qualifications, labours, and sufferings, in which he
exceeded the false apostles, ver.
22, to the end.

The Apostle Asserts His
Claims. (a.
d. 57.)

1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in
my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous
over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one
husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he
that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or
if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with
him.

Here we may observe, 1. The apology the
apostle makes for going about to commend himself. He is loth to
enter upon this subject of self-commendation: Would to God you
could bear with me a little in my folly, v. 1. He calls this folly, because too
often it is really no better. In his case it was necessary; yet,
seeing others might apprehend it to be folly in him, he desires
them to bear with it. Note, As much against the grain as it is with
a proud man to acknowledge his infirmities, so much is it against
the grain with a humble man to speak in his own praise. It is no
pleasure to a good man to speak well of himself, yet in some cases
it is lawful, namely, when it is for the advantage of others, or
for our own necessary vindication; as thus it was here. For, 2. We
have the reasons for what the apostle did. (1.) To preserve the
Corinthians from being corrupted by the insinuations of the false
apostles, v. 2, 3.
He tells them he was jealous over them with godly jealousy;
he was afraid lest their faith should be weakened by hearkening to
such suggestions as tended to lessen their regard to his ministry,
by which they were brought to the Christian faith. He had
espoused them to one husband, that is, converted them to
Christianity (and the conversion of a soul is its marriage to the
Lord Jesus); and he was desirous to present them as a chaste
virgin—pure, and spotless, and faithful, not having their
minds corrupted with false doctrines by false teachers, as
Eve was beguiled by the subtlety of the serpent. This godly
jealousy in the apostle was a mixture of love and fear; and
faithful ministers cannot but be afraid and concerned for their
people, lest they should lose that which they have received, and
turn from what they have embraced, especially when deceivers
have gone abroad, or have crept in among them. (2.) To
vindicate himself against the false apostles, forasmuch as they
could not pretend they had another Jesus, or another Spirit, or
another gospel, to preach to them, v. 4. If this had been the case, there
would have been some colour of reason to bear with them, or to
hearken to them. But seeing there is but one Jesus, one Spirit, and
one gospel, that is, or at least that ought to be, preached to them
and received by them, what reason could there be why the
Corinthians should be prejudiced against him, who first converted
them to the faith, by the artifices of any adversary? It was a just
occasion of jealousy that such persons designed to preach another
Jesus, another Spirit, and another gospel.

The Apostle Asserts His
Claims. (a.
d. 57.)

5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very
chiefest apostles. 6 But though I be rude in speech,
yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest
among you in all things. 7 Have I committed an offence in
abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to
you the gospel of God freely? 8 I robbed other churches,
taking wages of them, to do you service. 9 And when I
was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for
that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia
supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being
burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of
this boasting in the regions of Achaia. 11 Wherefore?
because I love you not? God knoweth. 12 But what I do, that
I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire
occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And
no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.

After the foregoing preface to what he was
about to say, the apostle in these verses mentions,

I. His equality with the other
apostles—that he was not a whit behind the very chief of the
apostles, v. 5.
This he expresses very modestly: I suppose so. He might have
spoken very positively. The apostleship, as an office, was equal in
all the apostles; but the apostles, like other Christians, differed
one from another. These stars differed one from another in
glory, and Paul was indeed of the first magnitude; yet he
speaks modestly of himself, and humbly owns his personal infirmity,
that he was rude in speech, had not such a graceful delivery
as some others might have. Some think that he was a man of very low
stature, and that his voice was proportionably small; others think
that he may have had some impediment in his speech, perhaps a
stammering tongue. However, he was not rude in knowledge; he
was not unacquainted with the best rules of oratory and the art of
persuasion, much less was he ignorant of the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, as had been thoroughly manifested among
them.

II. His equality with the false apostles in
this particular—the preaching of the gospel unto them freely,
without wages. This the apostle largely insists on, and shows that,
as they could not but own him to be a minister of Christ, so they
ought to acknowledge he had been a good friend to them. For, 1. He
had preached the gospel to them freely, v. 7-10. He had proved at large, in
his former epistle to them, the lawfulness of ministers' receiving
maintenance from the people, and the duty of the people to give
them an honourable maintenance; and here he says he himself had
taken wages of other churches (v. 8), so that he had a right to have
asked and received from them: yet he waived his right, and chose
rather to abase himself, by working with his hands in the trade of
tent-making to maintain himself, than be burdensome to them, that
they might be exalted, or encouraged to receive the gospel,
which they had so cheaply; yea, he chose rather to be supplied from
Macedonia than to be chargeable unto them. 2. He informs them of
the reason of this his conduct among them. It was not because he
did not love them (v.
11), or was unwilling to receive tokens of their love
(for love and friendship are manifested by mutual giving and
receiving), but it was to avoid offence, that he might cut off
occasion from those that desired occasion. He would not give
occasion for any to accuse him of worldly designs in preaching the
gospel, or that he intended to make a trade of it, to enrich
himself; and that others who opposed him at Corinth might not in
this respect gain an advantage against him: that wherein they
gloried, as to this matter, they might be found even as
he, v. 12. It
is not improbable to suppose that the chief of the false teachers
at Corinth, or some among them, were rich, and taught (or deceived)
the people freely, and might accuse the apostle or his
fellow-labourers as mercenary men, who received hire or wages, and
therefore the apostle kept to his resolution not to be chargeable
to any of the Corinthians.

III. The false apostles are charged as
deceitful workers (v.
13), and that upon this account, because they would
transform themselves into the likeness of the apostles of
Christ, and, though they were the ministers of Satan, would seem to
be the ministers of righteousness. They would be as
industrious and as generous in promoting error as the apostles were
in preaching truth; they would endeavour as much to undermine the
kingdom of Christ as the apostles did to establish it. There were
counterfeit prophets under the Old Testament, who wore the garb and
learned the language of the prophets of the Lord. So there were
counterfeit apostles under the New Testament, who seemed in many
respects like the true apostles of Christ. And no marvel (says the
apostle); hypocrisy is a thing not to be much wondered at in this
world, especially when we consider the great influence Satan has
upon the minds of many, who rules in the hearts of the children
of disobedience. As he can turn himself into any shape, and put
on almost any form, and look sometimes like an angel of
light, in order to promote his kingdom of darkness, so he will
teach his ministers and instruments to do the same. But it follows,
Their end is according to their works (v. 15); the end will discover them to
be deceitful workers, and their work will end in ruin and
destruction.

The Apostle Asserts His
Claims. (a.
d. 57.)

16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if
otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a
little. 17 That which I speak, I speak it not after
the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory
also. 19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye
yourselves are wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring
you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of
you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been
weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am
bold also.

Here we have a further excuse that the
apostle makes for what he was about to say in his own vindication.
1. He would not have them think he was guilty of folly, in saying
what he said to vindicate himself: Let no man think me a
fool, v. 16.
Ordinarily, indeed, it is unbecoming a wise man to be much and
often speaking in his own praise. Boasting of ourselves is usually
not only a sign of a proud mind, but a mark of folly also. However,
says the apostle, yet as a fool receive me; that is, if you
count it folly in me to boast a little, yet give due regard
to what I shall say. 2. He mentions a caution, to prevent the abuse
of what he should say, telling them that what he spoke, he did
not speak after the Lord, v. 17. He would not have them think
that boasting of ourselves, or glorying in what we have, is a thing
commanded by the Lord in general unto Christians, nor yet that this
is always necessary in our own vindication; though it may be
lawfully used, because not contrary to the Lord, when, strictly
speaking, it is not after the Lord. It is the duty and practice of
Christians, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord,
rather to humble and abase themselves; yet prudence must direct in
what circumstances it is needful to do that which we may do
lawfully, even speak of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and
by us too. 3. He gives a good reason why they should suffer him to
boast a little; namely, because they suffered others to do so who
had less reason. Seeing many glory after the flesh (of
carnal privileges, or outward advantages and attainments), I
will glory also, v.
18. But he would not glory in those things, though he
had as much or more reason than others to do so. But he gloried in
his infirmities, as he tells them afterwards. The Corinthians
thought themselves wise, and might think it an instance of wisdom
to bear with the weakness of others, and therefore suffered others
to do what might seem folly; therefore the apostle would have them
bear with him. Or these words, You suffer fools gladly, seeing
you yourselves are wise (v. 19), may be ironical, and then the
meaning is this: "Notwithstanding all your wisdom, you willingly
suffer yourselves to be brought into bondage under the
Jewish yoke, or suffer others to tyrannize over you; nay, to
devour you, or make a prey of you, and take of you
hire for their own advantage, and to exalt themselves above
you, and lord it over you; nay, even to smite you on the
face, or impose upon you to your very faces (v. 20), upbraiding you while they
reproach me, as if you had been very weak in showing regard to me,"
v. 21. Seeing this
was the case, that the Corinthians, or some among them, could so
easily bear all this from the false apostles, it was reasonable for
the apostle to desire, and expect, they should bear with what might
seem to them an indiscretion in him, seeing the circumstances of
the case were such as made it needful that whereinsoever any
were bold he should be bold also, v. 21.

The Apostle Recounts His
Sufferings. (a.
d. 57.)

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they
Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so
am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a
fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above
measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the
Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered
shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen,
in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea,
in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and
painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings
often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that
are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the
churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is
offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will
glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for
evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the
governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with
a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a
window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his
hands.

Here the apostle gives a large account of
his own qualifications, labours, and sufferings (not out of pride
or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who had enabled him to do
and suffer so much for the cause of Christ), and wherein he
excelled the false apostles, who would lessen his character and
usefulness among the Corinthians. Observe,

I. He mentions the privileges of his birth
(v. 22), which were
equal to any they could pretend to. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews;
of a family among the Jews that never intermarried with the
Gentiles. He was also an Israelite, and could boast of his being
descended from the beloved Jacob as well as they, and was also of
the seed of Abraham, and not of the proselytes. It should seem from
this that the false apostles were of the Jewish race, who gave
disturbance to the Gentile converts.

II. He makes mention also of his
apostleship, that he was more than an ordinary minister of Christ,
v. 23. God had
counted him faithful, and had put him into the ministry. He had
been a useful minister of Christ unto them; they had found full
proofs of his ministry: Are they ministers of Christ? I am more
so.

III. He chiefly insists upon this, that he
had been an extraordinary sufferer for Christ; and this was what he
gloried in, or rather he gloried in the grace of God that had
enabled him to be more abundant in labours, and to endure
very great sufferings, such as stripes above measure, frequent
imprisonments, and often the dangers of death,v. 23. Note, When
the apostle would prove himself an extraordinary minister, he
proves that he had been an extraordinary sufferer. Paul was the
apostle of the Gentiles, and for that reason was hated of the Jews.
They did all they could against him; and among the Gentiles also he
met with hard usage. Bonds and imprisonments were familiar to him;
never was the most notorious malefactor more frequently in the
hands of public justice than Paul was for righteousness' sake. The
jail and the whipping-post, and all other hard usages of those who
are accounted the worst of men, were what he was accustomed to. As
to the Jews, whenever he fell into their hands, they never spared
him. Five times he fell under their lash, and received
forty stripes save one, v. 24. Forty stripes was the utmost
their law allowed (Deut. xxv.
3), but it was usual with them, that they might not
exceed, to abate one at least of that number. And to have the
abatement of one only was all the favour that ever Paul received
from them. The Gentiles were not tied up to that moderation, and
among them he was thrice beaten with rods, of which we may
suppose once was at Philippi, Acts
xvi. 22. Once he was stoned in a popular tumult,
and was taken up for dead, Acts xiv.
19. He says that thrice he suffered shipwreck;
and we may believe him, though the sacred history gives a relation
but of one. A night and a day he had been in the deep
(v. 25), in some
deep dungeon or other, shut up as a prisoner. Thus he was all his
days a constant confessor; perhaps scarcely a year of his life,
after his conversion, passed without suffering some hardship or
other for his religion; yet this was not all, for, wherever he
went, he went in perils; he was exposed to perils of all sorts. If
he journeyed by land, or voyaged by sea, he was in perils of
robbers, or enemies of some sort; the Jews, his own countrymen,
sought to kill him, or do him a mischief; the heathen, to whom he
was sent, were not more kind to him, for among them he was in
peril. If he was in the city, or in the wilderness, still he was in
peril. He was in peril not only among avowed enemies, but among
those also who called themselves brethren, but were false brethren,
v. 26. Besides all
this, he had great weariness and painfulness in his ministerial
labours, and these are things that will come into account shortly,
and people will be reckoned with for all the care and pains of
their ministers concerning them. Paul was a stranger to wealth and
plenty, power and pleasure, preferment and ease; he was in
watchings often, and exposed to hunger and thirst; in
fastings often, it may be out of necessity; and endured
cold and nakedness, v.
27. Thus was he, who was one of the greatest blessings
of the age, used as if he had been the burden of the earth, and the
plague of his generation. And yet this is not all; for, as an
apostle, the care of all the churches lay on him, v. 28. He mentions this last,
as if this lay the heaviest upon him, and as if he could better
bear all the persecutions of his enemies than the scandals that
were to be found in the churches he had the oversight of. Who is
weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?v. 29. There was
not a weak Christian with whom he did not sympathize, nor any one
scandalized, but he was affected therewith. See what little reason
we have to be in love with the pomp and plenty of this world, when
this blessed apostle, one of the best of men that ever lived,
excepting Jesus Christ, felt so much hardship in it. Nor was he
ashamed of all this, but, on the contrary, it was what he accounted
his honour; and therefore, much against the grain as it was with
him to glory, yet, says he, if I must needs glory, if my
adversaries will oblige me to it in my own necessary vindication,
I will glory in these my infirmities, v. 30. Note, Sufferings for
righteousness' sake will, the most of any thing, redound to our
honour.

In the last two verses, he mentions one
particular part of his sufferings out of its place, as if he had
forgotten it before, or because the deliverance God wrought for him
was most remarkable; namely, the danger he was in at Damascus, soon
after he was converted, and not settled in Christianity, at least
in the ministry and apostleship. This is recorded, Acts ix. 24, 25. This was his first
great danger and difficulty, and the rest of his life was a piece
with this. And it is observable that, lest it should be thought he
spoke more than was true, the apostle confirms this narrative with
a solemn oath, or appeal to the omniscience of God, v. 31. It is a great comfort
to a good man that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is an omniscient God, knows the truth of all he
says, and knows all he does and all he suffers for his sake.